Diamond Cutters vs. Diamond Miners
There are two ways to make money in the diamond business.
You can spend your life looking for diamonds.
Or you can become the person who knows what to do with them once they’re found.
Most people focus on the mining.
Finding leads. Finding customers. Finding products.
But there’s another category entirely:
The cutters.
I was reading about Joseph Asscher, the famous diamond cutter from Amsterdam.
In 1908, he was entrusted with the Cullinan Diamond… the largest rough diamond ever discovered. More than 3,100 carats.
An extraordinary stone.
But here’s what struck me:
The diamond became legendary not because it was found…
…but because it was cut.
Asscher developed patented cutting techniques that transformed rough stones into gems of astonishing value and brilliance.
That’s a fascinating lesson for business.
Because most people are obsessed with finding the next diamond.
More leads. More traffic. More followers. More opportunities.
But the world often pays far more for cutters than miners.
But the world often pays far more for cutters than miners.
The people who can shape something. Refine it. Package it. Position it. Multiply its value.
A great marketer is a diamond cutter.
A great strategist is a diamond cutter.
A great collaborator is a diamond cutter.
They see rough assets differently than everyone else.
They recognize hidden value. And they know how to unlock it.
That’s one reason I’ve always loved collaboration.
Some people have the diamond. Some people have the cut.
When the two come together, extraordinary things happen.